Stereoscopic viewer



1954 H. J. COLLINS STEREOSCOPIC VIEWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20,1951 INVENTOR. HARRY J. COLLINS Jan. 19, 1954 H. J. COLLINS 2,666,359

STEREOSCOPIC VIEWER Filed Aug. 20, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

h 4 r 49' 8 48 ifl qpllu lilllllllll INVENTOR. HAR RY 'J. COLLINS ATTNfk Patented Jan. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEREOSC OPICVIEWER Harry J. Collins, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to y, Milwaukee,Wis., a, corporation of Wisconsin Application August .20, 1951, Serial N0. 242,651

David White Compan 'Olaims. 1

My invention relates to viewers, and more particularly to stereoscopicviewers that maybe adjusted and focused for proper performance.

The object of my invention is to provide a stereoscopic viewer that hasan adaptor for the picture slide within an enclosure, and means forslidably moving, the adaptor within the enclosure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacterdescribed that has a rigid outer. case forming an enclosureequipped with stationary lenses and stationary illuminating means, inwhich the slide is, moved between the stationary lenses-andtheilluminating means.

A still further object of myinvention is to provide a viewer that has aportion of the enclosure hingedly mounted in ajresilient manner topermit actuating the illuminating means.

It is imperative to focus the stereoscopic slide. acting as a mount forpictures within a viewer to obtain the most efficient results. This isusually accomplished by moving the lenses toward andv away from theslides into which the picture is mounted, and is especially true whentheslide is mounted into an adaptor enclosed in aviewer equippedwithillinninatingmeans and reflector.

The deviceas described, illustrated and claimed herein consists of acasing or enclosure which is rigid and maintains fixed: overalldimensions.

The lenses are mountedwithin its forward wall 3b while the illuminatingmeans, reflector 'a'ndbatteries which form a sourceof current for theilluminating means, are all stationarilymounted within the enclosure,and the adaptor which supports the stereoscopic slide is movedforwardand rearward within the enclosure, between the lenses and theilluminating means, thereby focusing the picture. This fixed. dimensionfeature enables the entire unit to be placed into acarrying case orthe'like without changing the focusing equipment. The switch arrangement forilluminating means is actuated by; applying; pressure on a portion ofthe enclosure, thereby eliminating the necessityv of locating'aspecificswitch, push button,orthelike. j

The device is simple in construction, easy to manufacture, and positivein its performance.

Other and further objects of my invention will become apparentas thedescription, proceeds, when taken in conjunction withthe drawings inwhich:

Figurel is a perspective exterior view of the assembledviewer with astereoscopic slide partially inserted therein. j, Figure 2 15 a top viewof'theldevice with the slides'as showninFigureli "Figure 3 is a sideview of the device.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the slide adaptordisposed within the lower section of the viewer, and showing thebatteries in phantom.

Figure'5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the assembled devicewithout the batteries inserted therein.

Figure 6 is a composite top view of the illuminating means, inconjunction with a top view of the slide adaptor and its adjustingmeans.

Figure 7 is a composite side View of the arrangement as shown in Figure6.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken at the line 88 inFigure 5, and

Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of the electrical illuminatingcircuit.

Similar characters of reference indicate corre-' sponding partsthroughout the several views, and referring now to the same, thecharacter I 0 shows the upper portion of a rectangular enclosure whichmay be made of plastic or the like. This upper portion it engages thelower portion I! along a part of its outer wall as shown at I2. Theupper portion [0 supports a separate section 13 which is hingedlysupported at It to the upper portion It. This section I 3 may beconstructed of metal, or it may have a metallic contact memher l5extending alon its inner face.

The front wall I 6 is recessed at its central portion l1, and supportslenses !8 and I8 mounted withinthe front wall I 6, and held in place bythe lens mounts l9, and supported by retaining rings shown as 20. V

Ihere is an inner wall 2! rearwardly disposed within the enclosureformed by the portions ill. I l and I3, and an adaptor is shown as 22.This adaptor has a slot 23 within its upper face arranged for receivingthe stereoscopic slide frame which the pictures are mounted on, andwhich frame is shown by the character 24. The upper portion [0 is alsoprovided with a slot 25 which is wider and somewhat longer than the slot23 of the adaptor 22, and is in direct alignment with the slot 23thereby, permitting the placing of the slides 24 through the slot 25 toengage the slot 23 in the adaptor 22. A front wall 26 of the adaptor 22is provided with a pair of apertures 2f! and 2'? which may berectangular or square placed therein, and a reflector wall 28 which iscoated on the inside with a white covering, or the like, is shown; as apart ofv the adaptor'22. This reflector wall 28 is shown arcuated orradial at its outer end. l

The slot 23 in the adaptor 22 is recessed at 29 flat surfaceshown as 32at the-bottoms: Rear- Ward from the partition 3| are shown :upwardly-vdisposed ridges or flanges 33 which support the batteries 34 which,obviously,

ployed to form a source of electric currenn The rearward upper face ofthe upperportion" I0 is equipped with a slot 35 ota size and con-.--

tour to receive the focusing disc .3E-i .which.:ex-?;-

tends therethrough, and which is serrated at its outer periphery,tubular ferrule shown as and forms an-integralpart of a H 31 which is'threaded on its outer peripheral face 38, for engagement? within anaperture 39 in the reflector Wall 28 of the adaptor. This ferruleBlpasses through-an aperture in the wall 2| of theaenclosuracand Whenthedisc 36 is revolved by means of its ser-a rated outer'periphery, it willbe held indefinite alignment by the disc 36 engaged within theslot- 35,andv will cause the adaptor 22 supporting the slide frame 24 to be movedeither forward or rearward towards or away from the lenses ell! and 18'mounted within the front. wall 116.

The ferrule 31 is hollow as statedaboveto'receive a lamp shown as wwhich isinserted into a receptacle or socket 4|, and is mounted on=asupport member 42 which-is-constructed of non.- conducting materialforming an adaptor to be held in position as shown as 23 in Figure 4.The

socket -41 has a contact-member 44 attached thereto, and the lamp 40has-asimilar-contact member 45 in which it is .in contact, and these twoleads or contact members z44-andr 45.4-re-.- spectively extend on bothsides of the support member 42 as is plainly shown inFigure Brand aresupported by the member 42 at 46 by means ofa non-conducting rivet orthe like. i

There are resilient contact members shown as- 41 and 41 attached to thewalls- 2l at-4B,.and-- having outwardly extending-resilient members 49/and 49' forming a part. thereofr The dry cells or'batteries 34,- rest onthe flanges 33 which are arcuate'in contour and by .refera ringto Figure9, it will benoted that the contact 5010f one of the batteries contactsthe member;-

44, leading to the. socket 4i, while the'other bat tery contact. 50,-contacts rthemember 49 V con-V nected and forming a part of the member41; The flat end of one of the-dry cells contacts the member 45 leadingto the lamp 401 and the otherbattery 34 has its flat portion contactingthe member 49; forming apart of the member 41.-

Obviously, when. in :position; themembers 41' andzifl'. extend fromathe:-wa1l 2l', .over-1the-';dry. cells '34 -as shownzin: .l ig'ureA; andwhen pres-' sure :is exerted'ronf'the-hinge:portion l3 ofrxthefupper'part of the case; it'will.cause the plate shown as It .to engageboth of the member's'fll and 41' thereby completing the circuit and causing the lamp 40- to ignite within the adaptor 42 behind the stereoscopicslide frame '24,' and"the" reflector 28 "wili reflect the lightthroughthe transparent: picture within"the"slide 24. Ob

viously}, if the entire hinged portion 13 is made" ofsmetaLitwilleliminate theiplateshown as 15 to complete the circuit. r

By revolving the disc 36, the adaptor 22- carrying' the. frame. 2 4,wi11-rbe-caused to move toward I prisingfian elongated-enclosureconsisting of a art:-which=-.wil1;beshereafter more fully referredto.=-.andzspe'cificallypointed out in the appended claimsri,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim-anddesire tosecure byLetters Patent in therUn'ited States is:

1. A stereoscopic viewer comprising an enclosure havingrlenses, mountedin one of. .itswalls, a .slot eitending .,throughithe.topof saidenclosure in rparallelrelationto' said lenses, anada'pter slidablymounted Jwitliin said Jenclosure, said adaptor. equipped withfa frontwall having aperturesitherethioughQand "a rear wallTacting as areflector, a slotxdi'spos'ed throughthe top of said adaptor, the. slot.inisaid adaptor underlying the slot in the. enclosure toppior "receivinga .slide inserted 1 through the top, of the enclosure, n1eans...for.slidablyi',moving"'said adaptor within said. enclosure towardandawayffrom said lenses being. wide. enoughto allow a slide to beinsertedin.th adaptor-slot in any focal position of the adaptor,illuminating means disposed .within said adaptor between the" front. andrear walls thereof, a source of ielectric'energy'and means forcontrolling :the electric current for said illuminatirig means.

2;" A viewer of 'the ":character' described comtop,j a :bottomand'fourside walls, said top having a portion ihing'ed'ly attached "thereto,lenses mounted into 'one' of the walls, a slot disposed transverselythroughthe 'top; a vertical partitioh'disposed within said enclosurethereby forming "a front and 'rearicompartment' within said enclosure;"a lamp, a socket, "sai'd lamp engaging said socket, a support 'for saidsocket, said support mounted within the rear-compartment, said partitionequipped *witli" an aper-ture centrally disposed therethrough to"accommodate the lamp mounted on "said "support-, a stereoscopic slideadaptor, said adaptor *slidaibly mounted within "the rmm compartment orsaid enclosure,-

said adaptor equipped "with a longitudinal 'slo't through its "top, th'slot' at the: top of said enclosure being" wider than the slotat thetop of said adaptor and indirect alignment therewith; means extndiiig'through the top-of said enclosure for s'lidably'. moving 'said adaptorwithin said front compartment -toward and away from i. said "lenses saidadaptor: 1 having a forward wall provided with a pair of. apertures andarearward wall acting as a reflector, saidrefictor wall provided "withan aperture to'permit the lamp 'ori said support to extend electriccurrent within" said *rear compartment, and contact means within theelectric lampcircu'it, said gcontact means adapted to :b e' actuated bythe; 'hingd po'i'tion forming'fjag'part"0f the topi-of said enclosure.

3; Aviewer of "the chanacterrdescribedlcome prising an enclosureconsisting of, a top, a bottom and four walls, a pair of lenses mountedinto the forward wall of said enclosure, said enclosure provided with apartition separating said enclosure into a forward and rearwardcompartment, a lamp, a socket for supporting said lamp, a socketsupport, said support removably mounted within the rearward compartmentof said enclosure, said partition having an aperture therethrough, saidlamp extending through said aperture, an adaptor slidably mounted withinsaid forward compartment, said adaptor having a forward wall equippedwith apertures, a rearwardwall acting as a reflector, said reflectorhaving an aperture for receiving the lamp extending through saidpartition, means for moving said adaptor toward and away from saidlenses, in the front wall of said enclosure, an elongated slot in thetop of said adaptor in parallel relation to the front wall thereof, anelongated slot in the top of said forward compartment of said enclosure,said slot being wider than the slot in said adaptor and in directalignment therewith, a source of electric energy connecting said lampand socket, and a resilient means forming a part of the top of saidenclosure for completing the circuit for energizing said lamp by meansof said electric energy.

4. A viewer comprising, an enclosure having a fixed lens board, a lensfixed in said lens board, a slot in the top of the enclosuresubstantially perpendicular to the axis of said lens and adapted toadmit a slide to the interior of the enclosure, a carriage slidablymounted within the enclosure and including a front wall having anaperture therethru in alignment with said lens and a top wall providedwith a slot adapted to underlie the slot in the enclosure top, means formoving said carriage to and from the lens to adjust the focus, the widthof the slot in the carriage being sumcient to receive said slide mountand the width of the slot in the enclosure top being suflicient to allowa slide to be inserted into said carriage slot in any adjusted positionof the carriage, and means for illuminating the slides from the sideopposite the lens.

5. A viewer according to claim 4 in which said cariage includes areflector adapted for movement' with the carriage and the illuminatingmeans is located between the front wall of the carriage and thereflector.

HARRY J. COLLINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

